


Danganronpa: Shifting Hope

by Joltythunders



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Gen, Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Murder Mystery, Original Character Death(s), POV First Person, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:40:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22754902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joltythunders/pseuds/Joltythunders
Summary: Seventeen students, who are supposed to attend the illustrious Hope's Peak Academy as Ultimates, are trapped in a mansion by a mysterious person, who uses a robotic cat named Nekosuji to force the students to kill each other in a Mutual Killing game. Will the students survive against this despair, or will they give in, shifting their hopes into hopelessness?- Danganronpa fan Killing Game -May contain spoilers for the Danganronpa video games and anime.
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

My name is Aiko Kasai. By all means, I am a normal high school girl. I’ve lived a completely normal life, living with my parents and attending school. Nothing impactful has happened in my life. I haven’t had much hardship, nor have I experienced anything particularly exciting. I get pretty good grades in school, but I’m not a top student. I have normal hobbies like playing video games or reading. I’m not talented at anything. Yep, my life has been completely normal, and completely boring.

Well. Until now.

Last week I got a letter in the mail. The return address read Hope’s Peak Academy. Inside was a notice that I had been chosen to attend Hope’s Peak as the Ultimate Lucky Student. The notice explained how Hope’s Peak, as a study of the nature of luck, selects a randomly chosen high school student to attend the school. When I read this, I couldn’t believe it. Nothing interesting has ever happened to me in my life, so being accepted into the illustrious Hope’s Peak… It seemed unreal. But when I scanned the letter, I saw the official seal of the school, proof that the letter was real. I was really going to be accepted into Hope’s Peak. I was really going to attend school at the greatest academy in the country.

Over the last week, I’ve prepared myself for attending Hope’s Peak. My first step was to find out what kind of classmates I would be spending my school life with from this point forward. It was easy enough to do research on this, as many forums exist that discuss the new students arriving at Hope’s Peak. There wasn’t much information about who the new students were, but their talents were listed. The ones that stood out to me as interesting were Ultimate American Popstar, Mortician, Plush Maker, and Dog Catcher. Was an American attending Hope’s Peak? I thought only Japanese students could attend? What kind of person was the Ultimate Mortician? Would they be gloomy and depressing? I wouldn’t want to be around someone like that. How could making stuffed animals catch the attention of Hope’s Peak? And what about a Dog Catcher? Did those even exist anymore? I see strays everywhere, and animal shelters can’t possibly take them all in. 

One thing was certain, I was going to have a very interesting time at Hope’s Peak.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the day that I arrive at Hope’s Peak, and begin my new, exciting life. 

When I went to sleep, I didn’t expect that everything would get turned upside down overnight. And yet, when I woke up, I was in a room I didn’t recognize at all. I sat up in the unfamiliar bed, wondering where I was. My heart started to beat faster as I began to panic. Where am I? What is this place? I looked around the room, which resembled a high end hotel room. The bed I sat on was canopy style, and had beautiful white bedding. The niceness of the room only compounded my confusion. 

Okay, this is weird. This is obviously really weird and confusing. But, maybe I was just too stressed out and forgot what happened this morning? Maybe this is my dorm room at Hope’s Peak? Yeah. Yeah, that’s gotta be it. With that thought, I stood up. My legs were shaky as I walked toward the door of the room. I took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping into the hall. 

In the hall, I was met with a sight that surprised me. The walls had classical paintings on them, and the whole atmosphere felt as if I, as a boring, normal high school student, shouldn’t be here. Even though Hope’s Peak was a top school, surely it couldn’t be a fancy, upscale building like this. Across the hall from the room I was in were more rooms. There were even more on the same side of the hall. It felt like a hotel, with the amount of doors I saw. Still confused, I started to wander the halls. Was I the only one here? I suddenly felt very alone as I made my way down the hall of doors. 

Then, a voice called out to me. “Hey! You, over there!” The voice said, in a panicked tone. I turned to where the voice was coming from, and saw a short girl with short, black hair and a pink dress with a strawberry pattern on. She had a red bow in her hair. 

“Uh… Me?” I asked, cautious of the other girl. 

“Yes, you! Do you have any idea where we are?” She asked, walking toward me. 

I shook my head, holding my ground as she approached me. “No, I have no idea… Are we the only ones here?” I looked at her face and noticed her blue eyes. She was really pretty. I figured she would be most guys’ type. 

“It seems like it…” The girl said. “I haven’t seen anyone yet, besides you. I just woke up in a strange room. I have no clue how I got here. This isn’t Hope’s Peak, is it? I was supposed to start school at Hope’s Peak today…” 

“Oh, you too? I’m also supposed to start school at Hope’s Peak…” I said. “But, I don’t think this is Hope’s Peak… This place doesn’t feel like a school at all.”  
“Yeah, I think so too…” The girl said dejectedly. “Well, if you were supposed to go to Hope’s Peak, too, then you must be one of my new classmates.” She said, perking up a bit. “I’m Mei Takahashi. What’s your name?”

“I’m Aiko… Aiko Kasai.” I introduced myself to the girl. 

“Aiko… It’s nice to meet you.” Mei smiled wide. 

Just then, a static noise sounded out. The loud noise startled the two of us. I looked at Mei with confusion, and she returned the sentiment. “Well, that was odd…” I said. “Maybe we should search the building more and-” I was cut off by another loud buzz. 

“Ahem… If you can hear this, please make your way downstairs and into the Ballroom. I repeat, please make your way downstairs and into the Ballroom. All students must gather in the Ballroom, right away.” A voice sounded out over a loudspeaker system.

“Huh? The… Ballroom?” I asked, looking at Mei. She shrugged. 

“I don’t know, I didn’t know Hope’s Peak had a Ballroom…” She said.

“Well… We should probably do as the message said.” I responded. Mei nodded.

“Yeah… I saw the stairs when I was wandering, they’re this way…”

Mei then led me to where the stairs were, and we went downstairs together. The downstairs of the building had a similar vibe to the second floor, giving off an upscale and fancy feeling. The stairs themselves were fancy, and tapered into a wider set at the bottom. The Ballroom turned out to be a room behind the staircase, with a set of ornate doors on either side of the stairs. Mei and I entered the Ballroom, and were met with a fancy room, with white marble columns and gorgeous white tile flooring and a large stage for musical performances at the front of the room. But more impressive than the atmosphere of the room was the presence of other people. More than a dozen other people, all seemingly around our age, were standing around, looking just as confused as Mei and I. Mei suddenly gasped, as she appeared to recognize someone. She then ran towards someone, a boy with brown hair who was wearing a dark blue t-shirt. 

“Jay! Oh my God, it’s you!” Mei said as she wrapped her arms around the boy. She obviously knew the boy, and her loud voice demanded the attention of the rest of the people in the room. 

“M-mei!? Ah, g-get off, everyone is staring!” The boy protested as Mei hugged him. He was clearly embarrassed as fifteen sets of eyes gazed at him and Mei. He hurriedly pushed Mei away gently. 

I walked up to Mei and the boy. “You know him, Mei?” I asked.

“Of course I know him! He’s my twin brother! This is Jay!” Mei excitedly answered me. Up close, I noticed that Jay had green eyes, and a bright blue streak in his hair. She turned to Jay. “I know you told me you were coming back to Japan, but I didn’t know that you were going to attend Hope’s Peak too!” She frowned slightly. “You really should have told me!”

Jay blushed, embarrassed to be scolded by his sister. “I thought you would appreciate the surprise more. It has been five years since we’ve seen each other…” 

Another student, a boy with dark brown hair and glasses, wearing a grey hoodie, cleared his throat. “This little family reunion is touching, but I think our situation is a little more pressing than that.” He looked around at each of the people in the room. “None of us know where we are. And all of us are supposed to be at Hope’s Peak, which this clearly is not.” 

The same voice that Mei and I heard over the loudspeakers spoke again, but without the recorded effect that comes with being broadcasted. “That’s where I come in. I’m here to explain your situation to all of you.” The voice said. All of us looked around the room, trying to locate the source of the voice. But there wasn’t anyone else around. “Uh, over here. Up on the stage. Yeah, hi.” When I turned towards the stage, I saw a podium, and on top of the podium was what appeared to be a tuxedo cat. It seemed to have one green eye, and another red, jagged eye. 

“What the-? Is that a cat?” One of the other students, a young looking girl with light brown hair pulled into twin tails, wearing a white frilly dress, exclaimed, voicing my own thoughts. 

“Yes, I am a cat.” The voice said. The cat that was on top of the podium stood up, on two legs. “My name is Nekosuji, and I am your host, on the behalf of my Master.” The cat then bowed to us in a polite manner. 

“Am I the only one weirded out by this?” Another student, a tall girl with pink hair styled in buns, wearing a hooded cloak and tan pants, spoke out. 

“Definitely not! This is super weird! I mean, cats aren’t supposed to talk, or be able to stand on two legs...” A boy with red hair wearing a red and white track uniform responded. 

“Alright, students, calm down. Didn’t you all want to know where you are?” Nekosuji said to us. Most of us went quiet, anxiously awaiting for the answers. Others muttered to themselves impatiently. “Well, to start, you’ve all been brought here by my Master. This place is my Master's mansion. You're all to be participants of a game that my Master has set up for all of you.”  
“A game…?” I wondered aloud. 

“What do you mean by ‘Master’? Who are you talking about?” A white haired boy wearing a white lab coat directed toward the strange looking cat. 

“My Master is a very secretive person. They do not wish for their identity to be disclosed at this time. As such, I will refrain from mentioning them further. As I am your host, I expect that you will all treat me as such for your stay here.” Nekosuji answered. “As for the game you will be participating in… it is known as the Mutual Killing Game.”

“Killing? What do you mean, killing?” A girl with pale green hair wearing jean overalls with a pawprint across the front, asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? You are all meant to kill one another.” Nekosuji said. The strange cat spoke in such a casual, serious tone, that clashed with what he was actually saying. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. 

I found myself speaking out again. “That’s impossible! There’s no way we would do that!”

“Are you sure, miss Kasai? You don’t even know these people yet. You don’t know the nature of their hearts. Any one of them could be capable of killing.” Nekosuji said, with a sudden shift in mood. He was now grinning evilly, staring directly at me, his red eye boring into my soul. 

He was right. I’d only briefly met Mei, and was only barely introduced to her twin brother, Jay, but I don’t know who anyone else is. I don’t know their names, or what kind of people they are. But, surely, they couldn’t be capable of murder? The average person wouldn’t kill another person. But these were students chosen to go to Hope’s Peak. They weren’t average. They were all unique and possibly eccentric or weird, and I didn’t know if it was impossible for any of them to be murderers. As I looked around the room at the others, it seemed they, too, were all stunned into silence. 

Nekosuji then spoke again. “Well, the game will not begin just yet. For now, I must hand out a resource that will be very useful for all of you. They are the E-Handbooks, an electronic tablet loaded with a map of this building, information on your fellow students, and a list of rules for conduct while you are here.” Nekosuji then jumped down from the podium and made his way to the closest student, a short boy with light blue hair wearing a light purple sweater. He then took out a tablet from seemingly nowhere and handed it to the boy. “Here you are, Mister Kobayashi.”

The blue haired boy looked at the tablet he was handed curiously. “Oh, my name shows up when I boot it…” He notes to himself as Nekosuji moves on from him to the next student, a boy with tanned skin and blond hair, wearing aviation goggles, a deep blue scarf, and a brown jacket. Nekosuji continued handing out the tablets, and eventually handed me mine. I turned it on, and the screen displayed my name before fading into a screen with three app icons on it, labeled Map, Student Files, and Rules of Conduct. I tapped on the icon labeled Rules of Conduct, and a list appeared. The list of rules were as follows:

1- Attempting to leave the mansion is forbidden, and any one who attempts to leave will be punished. 

2- During Nighttime, beginning at 10pm and ending at 7am, students are limited in where they can go, with most areas off limits except their rooms and a few other exceptions. 

3- Sleeping outside of the rooms on the second floor is forbidden. In addition, only one student is allowed to sleep in each room at a time.

4- All students are free to explore the open areas of the mansion at their discretion during the day. 

5- Violence against Nekosuji, the host, is forbidden. That’s just plain rude, and actions against the host will be promptly punished. Similarly, destruction of property is not allowed. 

6- All students are being observed at all times. Please do not engage in any inappropriate actions. There is no place in the mansion where privacy is available. 

7- When a student kills another student, they become “blackened”. If a Blackened student is able to get away with their murder, they will be allowed to leave the mansion.

8- When three or more people find a body for the first time, a Body Discovery Announcement will play. 

9- After a murder occurs, a short investigation period will take place. After the investigation, a Class Trial will be held to find the identity of the Blackened.

10- If the identity of the Blackened is found during the Class Trial, the Blackened will be executed. However, if the wrong person is selected as the Blackened, all other students will be executed, and the Blackened will be allowed to leave the mansion.

11- More rules may be added at any time by the host, Nekosuji. Existing rules may also be modified if needed. 

When I finished reading the rules, I looked up from the screen. The rest of the students seemed to also have read the rules, and all bore shocked expressions on their faces.

“So, it’s real then…? We really do have to kill each other?” A boy with grey hair wearing a blue and black hoodie said in disbelief.

“Yes, it’s true, you will have to kill each other. But, the Killing Game does not start today. Today, you are meant to introduce yourselves to each other, and to explore the mansion’s first two floors. It’s important that you all get to know each other.” Nekosuji said, matter of factly. “That way, when someone dies, it means more.” 

“That’s seriously messed up. This whole thing is messed up!” 

“Yeah...This can’t be happening, there’s no way that someone would do this…” 

“Now, now, students, calm down. Your only hope is getting along. That’s the only way none of you will die.” Nekosuji said to us. ”After today, being able to trust one another will be extremely vital if you wish to survive. It is, after all, an option to never kill one another and simply live here forever. Well, goodbye for now, students. Enjoy your last peaceful day.” Nekosuji then went back on stage, and disappeared behind the podium. 

I sighed. So much had just went down. I felt exhausted. The thought of living in this mansion forever disturbed me. What about my family? What about Hope’s Peak? I was supposed to have a normal school life. No, not a normal school life, like I was used to. I was supposed to have an interesting time at Hope’s Peak. How ironic. How ironic that this situation is far more interesting than attending school at Hope’s Peak could have ever been. 

“Uh, Aiko? Earth to Aiko? Are you listening?” Mei’s voice broke through my thoughts. 

“Huh…? Oh, Mei… Sorry, were you trying to catch my attention?” I said, somewhat embarrassed to be caught lost in thought. 

“Yes… Jay and I think that everyone should introduce themselves formally…” Mei said. 

“Oh, yeah, that’s probably a good idea…” I responded. 

“Then, I’ll go first.” Mei said, turning toward the crowd that was now staring at Mei, Jay and I who were gathered at the back of the room. “Hello everyone. My name is Mei Takahashi. I am the Ultimate Fashion Designer.” She bowed in greeting. “This,” she continued, pointing to Jay.

“I can do it myself, Mei.” Jay interrupted her. “I’m Jay Takahashi. The Ultimate American Popstar. Mei is my twin sister.” 

“If you’re twins, what was that remark earlier about not seeing each other in five years?” The boy with brown hair and a grey hoodie asked. 

“Mei and I grew up apart. Our parents split when we were really young, and my dad took me with him to America, and Mei stayed in Japan with our mom. Our mom got sick and died five years ago, which is when I last saw Mei, for our mother’s funeral.” Jay responded. “Why, is it suspicious that Mei and I already knew each other?”

The boy shook his head. “No, I was simply curious.” 

“Uh, so. My name is Aiko Kasai. I’m the Ultimate Lucky Student. I only randomly won a lottery to go to Hope’s Peak… But, I hope my normalness doesn’t bother anyone.”

“Why would something petty like that bother anyone?” A girl with black hair and red eyes, wearing a black dress adorned with red roses, said, shaking her head. “There’s no such thing as normal anyway.” She stepped forward. “Well, my name is Shiori Murasaki. I’m the Ultimate Spiritualist. That means I specialize in seances and talking to the dead.” She said with a smile. Spiritualist, huh? Of course a girl like that wouldn’t believe that ‘normal’ is a thing.

“Wow, you talk to the dead? I work with dead people too!” The short boy with blue hair said in an excited tone. “I’m the Ultimate Mortician, Takeru Kobayashi!” He exclaimed. He smiled wide and took Shiori’s hands.

“Ugh, don’t touch me without my permission, kid.” Shiori sighed, dropping Takeru’s hands. 

“Ahah, sorry, I forget that some people don’t like being touched sometimes! It really upsets grieving parents when I try to hug them, ahaha!” Takeru laughed, grinning.

“Jeez, kid, you’re a strange one.” The boy with tanned skin and blond hair said in exasperation. “Well, I guess I’ll go next. I’m Hiro Ichijou, the Ultimate Pilot.”

“You do look like an old-timey pilot with those goggles and that scarf.” The pink haired girl said in response.

“Yeah, I guess so… I inherited this stuff from my grandfather, so I wear it whenever I can so I can honor his memory…” Hiro said. 

“That’s really sweet of you.” The pink haired girl said. “Anyway, my name is Yuzuki Amano, and I am the Ultimate Archer.” She introduced herself. 

“Ah, an archer, huh? I used to want to get into archery when I was younger, but my parents thought it was too dangerous.” The boy in the track uniform said. “I’m the Ultimate Track Star, so I guess running isn’t too dangerous, haha. My name’s Takashi Ichikawa.” He said, grinning. 

“Oh my, you’re just adorable, Takashi-kun.” A boy with long golden brown hair, wearing a light magenta suit, said. “All of you are really cute~” He said.

“Are you seriously hitting on people already?” The girl with pale green hair said in shock. “We woke up in a strange place, told that we would have to kill each other, and your first thought is to hit on other people?” She sighed, exasperated. 

“I wasn’t hitting on anyone. I just genuinely think that you’re all cuties… I’m sorry if I came off wrong.” The boy with long hair responded, apologetically. “My name is Haruki Yamamoto, and I’m the Ultimate Floral Arranger. I just like beautiful things, and if I find something beautiful I have to point it out.”

“Well, I suppose that makes sense. But not everyone is comfortable with being called cute.” The green haired girl said. “I’m Chiyo Hattori, and I’m the Ultimate Dog Catcher.” 

“A dog catcher? Then, do you not like dogs?” The girl with light brown twin tails asked. She was clutching a plush animal, that seemed to resemble a dog. 

“Oh, no, I love dogs! That’s why I’m a dog catcher. I catch dogs, and then foster them and find them loving homes. Back at home, I have three dogs of my own. Mamesuke, Tsuki, and Hana. All of them are rescues. Mamesuke is a shiba inu, Tsuki is a dachshund, and Hana is a golden retriever. They’re all great in their own rights, but Mamesuke is-”

“Uh, Chiyo. You can stop there for now. It’s clear you love your dogs, but there are still a few of us who haven’t had the chance to introduce themselves yet. You can talk more about your dogs later.” Mei interrupted Chiyo. 

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry. I get like that when I talk about dogs…” Chiyo said, blushing and nervously rubbing the back of her neck. “What about you, then?” She directed towards the girl with twin tails. 

“Oh, me…?” The girl responded. “I’m Emi Mayeda. The Ultimate Plush Maker. And this is Kiyo…” Emi held up the plush she was holding. It was an orange and white animal with floppy ears and black bead eyes. It was really well crafted, and honestly really adorable. 

“Oh, is he a dog?” Chiyo asked. Emi nodded. “He’s very cute.” Chiyo said with a smile.

“Th-thanks. He was one of the first plushies I ever made. After I brought him to school one day, everyone in my class wanted one too, so my parents had me make more, and sold them to my classmates… Eventually I had my own company, and Hope’s Peak noticed me.” Emi said in a shy, quiet tone. 

The boy with grey hair looked at Emi. “You look really young to have your own company.” He noted. “Then again… I suppose I am too. I’m a game developer. The Ultimate Game Designer, I guess. My name’s Sora Hisame.” He said. 

“Wh-what? No way, I-I really love your games…” A chubby girl with pale purple hair and pale skin, wearing an artists’ smock, spoke. Her voice was really quiet, and I had to strain to hear her. 

“I appreciate hearing that. Although making games is fun, it’s not worth it unless other people can enjoy them. I guess.” Sora said. 

“I-I get that too, I feel the same way towards my sc-sculptures…” The purple haired girl stuttered. “I’m the Ultimate Sc-sculptor… M-masuyo Iseda…”

“Wow, a plush maker, game designer, and a sculptor. You all must be so creative and talented. My only talent is that I’m pretty.” A tall boy with black hair, wearing a white dress shirt with the first two buttons undone, said. “I’m just the Ultimate Male Model. Literally my whole thing is that I’m attractive and can pose well for a camera.”

“W-well, that’s impressive in its own r-right… I definitely wouldn’t be able to do s-s-something like that…” Masuyo said, blushing. 

“So, then, Ultimate Male Model, what’s your name?” Haruki asked.

“My name is Fujioka… Huh…? Uh, I can’t seem to remember my given name… Haha… I don’t use it often, and the confusion of today probably knocked it right out of my head… I apologize, everyone. I’m sure it’ll come back to me, but for now, please call me Fujioka.” The male model said nervously. 

“But shouldn't your E-Handbook have your name in it?” Takeru asked Fujioka. “Mine showed my full name when I turned it on.”

“Yeah, so did mine.” I said. Most of the others nodded to confirm that theirs did, too.

Fujioka pressed the power button on his E-Handbook, and turned it towards the rest of us. The screen only displayed his surname, Fujioka. “Apparently my E-Handbook has amnesia too.” He joked.

The boy with white hair and a lab coat looked to be deep in thought at Fujioka’s claim of forgetting his name. “Hmmm… that’s really strange. I hope you haven’t been poisoned or given something that affects your memory…” The white haired boy said, concern in his voice. “I’m Naoki Matsuoka, the Ultimate Forensic Analyst. If I had my equipment here, I could take a blood sample, and make sure that you haven’t been slipped something…” Naoki sighed. 

Mei turned toward the boy with the grey hoodie and glasses. “What about you? What’s your talent?” She asked.

“I’m the Ultimate Architect.” The boy responded. “My name’s Kaito Shinobara.”  
“Nice to meet you, Kaito.” Mei said with a wide smile. 

“Isn’t there one more of us who hasn’t introduced themselves?” I asked. 

“Oh, yeah, there is. Him, over there. He looks like he wasn’t even listening…” Mei said, looking over at a boy with black hair who was wearing a pale blue dress shirt, and had a stethoscope around his neck. She walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. “Excuse me, but we were all introducing ourselves, and you’re the only one left.”

The black haired boy jumped when Mei tapped his shoulder, clearly surprised. “Huh? Oh, I’m sorry… I was really deep in thought, I must’ve not noticed…” 

“That’s alright. But you should introduce yourself now.” Mei said.

“Okay.. Well, I’m Kazuo. Kazuo Harukawa. I’m the Ultimate Surgeon, but I mostly act as a diagnostic doctor.” He said.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kazuo.” Mei said, smiling. “With that, everyone’s introduced themselves…” 

I nodded. “Yeah, so should we explore the mansion, and find out what’s here now, then?” I suggested, mostly eager to stop standing around. 

“That’s a good idea… knowing what this place is like is pretty important.” Jay said in response. “Does everyone agree?” He said, raising his voice a bit so everyone could hear him. Most of us nodded, or gave small affirmations. “Alright then, we’ll split into groups, and inspect as much of the building as we can. The groups don’t really matter, but as there are seventeen of us, and eight rooms available to us, there should be groups of at least two people looking at each room. If that’s alright with everyone.” No one had any protests. 

“Uh, if it’s o-okay, I’d like to stay here…” Masuyo said. “I-I don’t feel like I’d be very helpful elsewhere.”

“Sure, there might be some things worth looking into in here. Who else will stay in here?” Jay asked.

Fujioka raised his hand. “I’ll stay here.” He said with a smile. He turned to Masuyo. “We’ll handle seeing if there’s anything valuable in here, right, Suyo?” 

“S-s-suyo?” Masuyo stuttered, looking up at Fujioka. 

“Yeah, that’s my nickname for you. Is that okay?” Fujioka said.

“I-I guess so…” Masuyo said, blushing.

“Anyway, you can leave the ballroom to us, Jay.” Fujioka assured.

“Alright then… Does anyone have any preference to what room they check out?” Jay asked. 

“I definitely want to check out the kitchen. I’m really curious as to how well stocked it is.” Haruki said. 

“Okay. So, who’s going to the kitchen with him, then?” Jay directed at the crowd.

“I guess I will.” Yuzuki said. 

“Oh, me too. It’s one of the bigger rooms, so more people should check it out, right?” Shiori added.

“That works.” Jay said. The rest of the rooms were doled out easily. Hiro and Takashi went to the gameroom, Takeru and Kazuo went to the lounge, Naoki and Sora went to the storage room, and Chiyo and Emi went to the lobby. 

“I want to check out the Dining Hall.” Mei had requested. She then turned to Kaito and smiled at him. “Will you come with me, Kaito?” She asked.

“Mei, wouldn’t you rather go with me?” Jay questioned, a little hurt. 

“I’ll definitely spend time with you later, Jay, but I wanna get to know our other classmates. I already know and trust you, Jay.” Mei responded. “So, Kaito, will you come with me?”

“Sure. Why not?” Kaito said.

With a sigh, Jay turned toward me. “Well, we’re the last two. We’ll go to the library on the second floor.”  
I nodded. “Okay.” 

Jay turned to everyone. “I think we should all meet up in an hour to report our findings. Let’s meet back at the Dining room after an hour.” 

And with that, everyone went to their designated rooms. Jay and I went up to the second floor, and into the room that was labeled ‘Library’ on the map. The room definitely fit its description. There were bookshelves lining the walls, and a seating area located in the center of the room. “There’s probably something important in the bookshelves.” I said to Jay.

Jay shrugged. “I’m not sure about that. It’s probably just as likely for there to be a random hidden room in the bookshelves than to find any useful information in all those books.” 

“If you’re not very optimistic about finding anything, then why are we searching here?”

“You’re the one who suggested looking around the mansion. I just took the initiative in organizing everyone.” Jay said, walking towards one of the bookshelves. He picked a book out, seemingly at random, and inspected it. “Besides, if that weird cat wanted us to explore, there can’t be much of use for escaping.”  
“Yeah, you’re right.” I sighed. “This whole situation is so messed up.” I also inspected the bookshelf nearest to me. There were probably hundreds of books. Fiction, non fiction. Dramas and romances. There were even encyclopedias and textbooks. But it appeared that there really wasn’t anything useful for our situation. I looked over at Jay. He was holding a book with a black cover. “What’s that?”

“Apparently it’s meant to be a history of Hope’s Peak…”Jay said. He turned the book towards me. “But it’s completely blank.” The pages were stark white, with not a single hint of any words having been printed in it.

“That’s really strange…” I said, picking a novel off of the shelf. I opened it and inspected it. It was a normal copy, with the correct text and none missing. “Well, it’s probably the only one.” I said. “This one is normal.”

“There’s probably a reason why this one is blank. We were supposed to go to Hope’s Peak, so maybe this is here to remind us that we aren’t able to do that now.” Jay said. He shrugged. “Honestly, it could be for any reason.” He sighed. 

“Yeah, but it’s probably significant. We just don’t know why yet.” I said. 

Jay and I tried to look for any other book similar to the Hope’s Peak one, but any book we checked would just be normal. Soon, it had been almost an hour. 

“Time to head to the dining hall.” Jay said. I nodded, and we went downstairs and headed to the dining hall, where everyone was beginning to gather. When Jay and I entered, Mei immediately came up to us. “Hi guys! Did you find anything interesting in the library?” She asked.

Jay shook his head. “No, not really. When everyone else gets here, I’ll go over it in more detail, but there wasn’t anything helpful.” 

“Ah, that’s too bad. If any room had anything helpful, it would have probably been the library.” Mei said. “Kaito and I didn’t find much either. There’s nothing in here, except all these tables, and the windows are covered with iron plates.”

I looked around the room. It was true, the space was mostly empty with about five tables spread around, and on the walls where there should be windows, there were huge iron plates bolted to the wall. 

“Anyway, Aiko, can I talk to you alone for a sec?” Mei asked me. 

“Oh? Uh, sure, I guess.” I responded. What could Mei want to talk to me about? 

Mei grabbed me by the arm and took me to a corner of the room. “So, I know you haven’t gotten to know any of the boys yet, well, besides my brother… But have any of them caught your attention?” 

What? _ This  _ is what Mei wanted to discuss? Boys? “Seriously?” I asked, shocked.

“Yeah! Surely you find  _ someone  _ cute!” Mei exclaimed.

“I-I don’t, I know basically nothing about anyone here!” I responded. I felt my face warm up with embarrassment. 

“Oh come oooon, there’s gotta be someone.” Mei said in a teasing tone.

“I’m telling the truth, I haven’t thought about that at all.” I said.

“Aw, fine… I just wanted to help you find someone. I pride myself on my ability to match make. All my friends back in middle school would always come to me for help with that.” Mei said, pridefully.

“That kind of thing… does it really matter here? I mean… We’re supposed to kill each other, starting tomorrow…” I said. 

“But, that cat… Nekosuji. He said that it’s possible to just live here forever. It’s easier to get along with everyone if there’s someone important to you present, right?” Mei pointed out.

“I suppose so…” I said, shaking my head. “But I can’t really see myself getting romantically involved with anyone here, in this situation.” 

“That’s too bad. There’s so many boys you’d be cute with.” Mei said.

“Like who?” I asked, a bit curious who she thought might be my type.

“Like… Sora, or Naoki, or Takashi…” Mei said. “But Kaito’s mine.”

“You’re claiming him already?” I sighed. “You’re really strange for thinking of this stuff during all of this… But, that’s why you wanted to explore the dining hall with him, right?”

“Yeah, from the moment I first saw him, I was drawn to him. It just feels like there’s some hidden destiny between us.” Mei said, smiling. “And plus, he’s totally my type. I love guys with glasses, and the quiet type really gets to me.”  
“Geez, Mei, I’m embarrassed just listening to this. I can’t believe you can say this stuff without batting an eye.” I said. 

As Mei and I were talking, the rest of the students entered the dining hall. Jay called everyone to the center of the room, and we started a discussion of our findings. Jay started us off. “Aiko and I went to the library, but we found very little that was helpful.” Jay said. “There was an impressive amount of encyclopedias and dictionaries, and novels and other books. Basically, what you would expect to find in a library. However, there was one book that was supposedly a guide to the history of Hope's Peak. But inside, the pages were all blank.” Some people murmured to themselves about how that was strange. “I think that whoever brought us here probably planted that book, to mess with us, as we’re all meant to be students at Hope's Peak.” He added. “Anyway, that's all that the library seems to offer. Does anyone else have anything to report?” 

Naoki raised his hand, drawing the attention to himself. “Sora and I investigated the Storage room. Although there wasn’t much in there other than assorted cleaning supplies and housewares, there was a trap door built into the floor. When we opened it, it was clear that it had once been a passage underneath the mansion, but concrete had been poured into the opening, and created a wall that can’t be moved past. Nekosuji even showed up and confirmed to Sora and I that it was in fact a hidden passageway that had been blocked off to us. He even claimed that the concrete went along the first six feet of the passageway. So, it’s unlikely to ever become a viable exit.”

“Geez, what the hell, man…” Hiro sighed. “Whoever brought us here really thought of everything. Who blocks off a passage with six feet of concrete?” Hiro said, shaking his head. “They really don’t want us getting out at all.”

“Yeah, and the six feet of concrete isn’t even necessary. There's already a rule that we can’t destroy anything in this place.” Sora pointed out. “Even if we could break through, we wouldn’t be allowed to. We would get punished by Nekosuji for trying.” 

“Yeah, you're right. It would be too easy to escape if we were allowed to break our way through things, so that must be why that rule exists in the first place…” Jay commented. “Who's next to report?”

Chiyo stepped forward. “I’ll go next.” She said, “Emi and I investigated the lobby. I thought there might be a way to escape from there, but the front door was blocked off with large metal sheets, like the windows in here. There was also some sort of lock, like one you’d find on a bank vault, on the door. Oh, and there were two more windows in the lobby, too. Other than that, the lobby was pretty normal for a lobby. There was a seating area, with two couches and a coffee table, and magazine racks, with fashion and sports magazines on them. Basically what you would expect to find in any hotel lobby. Which, I guess is odd, since this is supposed to be a mansion.”

Emi spoke up. “Nekosuji came and explained to us that the mansion was modified for our needs, remember?” She said to Chiyo. 

“Oh, right. Nekosuji did say that. After I noted out loud that the lobby didn't really feel like it belonged in a mansion, Nekosuji randomly appeared out of nowhere and explained that the mansion had been slightly modified to fit our needs and make it more comfortable for us.” Chiyo added. She sighed, and a confused look spread across her face. “I don't really get how making a mansion look like a hotel is supposed to make us feel better about this situation, though.” 

“Well, maybe the hotel look is supposed to make us feel pampered or something, so we think that we’re safe?” Takeru suggested. “I mean, my morgue has a really nice lobby, so my clients feel better about being there. Could be something like that.”

“What’s the point in making us feel safe if we’re being forced to kill each other?” Hiro sighed. “That just doesn’t seem right.” He said.

“Yeah, and the metal plates everywhere really undoes that theory. It doesn’t feel safe at all when the windows and exits are all blocked off with metal.” Chiyo responded. 

“You said that there was like a bank vault on the door though, right?” I spoke up. “I wonder if there’s a combination number somewhere. No one found anything like that?” 

“You and Jay went to the library and didn’t find anything, and that’s probably the place where something like that would be found.” Kaito pointed out. “I doubt whoever brought us here would just leave the combination to the exit lying around, anyway.” 

Kazuo cleared his throat. “Well, actually, I did find a small slip of paper, in the lounge…” He said, reaching into his pocket, and taking out a crumpled piece of paper.

“Kazuo, you didn’t tell me about that!” Takeru, who had gone to the lounge with Kazuo, exclaimed. 

“Oh, I guess I forgot to…” Kazuo said. 

“Whatever, at least you brought it up now.” Kaito said. “What does it say on it?”

Kazuo handed it to Kaito. “Well, as you see, it has a few numbers on it…”

Kaito looked at the paper, and read the numbers aloud. “17… 10… 7… 3… 6…”

All of us looked at each other in awe and confusion. 

“Well, like you said before, Kaito, that can’t possibly be the combination. There’s no way. Our captor wouldn’t leave the key to our escape just lying around.” Naoki chimed in.

“Where exactly was this paper?” Kaito directed at Kazou.

“It was lodged in the cushions of the couch in the lounge.” Kazuo said. “To me, it just seemed like lottery numbers someone lost there. I didn’t think it meant anything…”

Jay seemed to be in thought, scratching his chin. “Well, there’s seventeen of us, isn’t there?” I quickly counted the people in the room. Jay, Mei, Kaito, Kazuo, Takeru, Chiyo, Emi, Yuzuki, Masuyo, Fujioka, Shiori, Sora, Hiro, Naoki, Takashi, Haruki, and myself. Yeah, that’s seventeen.

“Yeah, there is seventeen of us.” I responded.

“So? What’s your point, Jay?” Yuzuki questioned, voicing my own thoughts.

“It seems to me that the 17 probably stands for us.” Jay stated. 

“What do the other numbers mean, then?” Chiyo asked. 

“I think the next two numbers are pretty clear. There’s ten guys and seven girls here.” Jay added. Again, I glanced around the room, verifying what Jay had said. He was right, ten boys, seven girls.

“But, why?” Hiro said, confusion and frustration in his voice.

“Clearly, there’s something about us we aren’t realizing yet.” Jay answered. 

“Like what?” Haruki said.

Jay shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just putting a thought out there.” 

Frustrated, Kaito squeezed the paper in his hand. “Well, was there anything actually useful in the lounge, then?”  
“Sorry, Kaito, no there really wasn’t. While Kazuo was sitting on the couch, apparently looking for trash in the cushions, I was searching the place all over, and there really wasn’t anything interesting at all.” Takeru said. “There were magazines on the table, but those were all old, from two or more years ago. Oh, and there was a dart board. The darts were in a little basket on a shelf.”

“Did anyone make any meaningful discoveries?” Jay asked. 

As it turned out, no. Shiori, Haruki, and Yuzuki were the only ones to find out something remotely interesting.

“Nekosuji says that we won’t ever run out of food, even if we stay here forever.” Yuzuki said. “He claims that the food stores will be restocked nightly.”

Everyone else reported pretty much the same thing. Nothing interesting. Everything was ordinary and boring. Nothing useful. Nothing to help us, nothing to give us any idea of what to do. 

When everyone was done speaking, we stood there in silence. It felt like our efforts were for nothing. We were in the same place we were before we looked around. In fact, we might have been even more confused than when we started.

But the silence didn’t last. 

The loudspeakers screeched to life, and that voice spoke to us again. 

“It is now 10pm. Nighttime has begun. Students should return to their dorms for the night. Tomorrow morning begins our game. Get some rest. You’ll need it.”

With a click, the loudspeakers were quiet again. 

I looked at the other students again.

Can I really trust any of them? 

As I laid down in the suffocatingly beautiful canopy bed in my dorm, thoughts of doubt, of fear, circled in my mind. 

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow would be the day that my new, terrifying life would begin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for checking out the prologue to my DR fan story! This has been YEARS in the making, with several rewrites, and several changes to characters involved(Originally, I stole some of my brother's characters to use because I couldn't come up with ~16 characters on my own lol). I am finally satisfied with the story and characters, and I'm so excited to share it with the world!  
> Thank you for giving my story a chance. I hope you enjoyed it so far, and I hope you'll stay to see how the rest turns out!


	2. Student Report Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 17 students' Report Cards.

Name: Aiko Kasai  
Height: 5’7  
Weight: 159 lbs  
Blood Type: AB  
DOB: July 6th  
Likes: Sweets  
Dislikes: Obnoxious people  
Notes: Ultimate Lucky Student

Name: Kaito Shinobara  
Height: 6’1  
Weight: 172 lbs  
Blood Type: A  
DOB: November 16th  
Likes: Solitude, writing  
Dislikes: Noisy people  
Notes: Ultimate Architect

Name: Jay Takahashi  
Height: 5’9  
Weight: 143 lbs  
Blood Type: AB  
DOB: January 24th  
Likes: Music, singing  
Dislikes: Performing  
Notes: Ultimate American Popstar

Name: Mei Takahashi  
Height: 5’6  
Weight:131 lbs  
Blood Type: B  
DOB: January 24th  
Likes: Cute things, boys  
Dislikes: Dark rooms  
Notes: Ultimate Fashion Designer

Name: Reiji Fujioka  
Height: 6’0  
Weight: 138 lbs  
Blood Type: B  
DOB: September 8th  
Likes: Art, warm weather  
Dislikes: Studio lighting  
Notes: Ultimate Male Model

Name: Shiori Murasaki  
Height: 5’8  
Weight: 142 lbs  
Blood Type: O  
DOB: April 16th  
Likes: Roses  
Dislikes: Coffee  
Notes: Ultimate Spiritualist

Name: Sora Hisame  
Height: 5’8 (slouches to 5’6)  
Weight: 123 lbs  
Blood Type: A  
DOB: July 19th  
Likes: Handheld gaming systems  
Dislikes: Overrated games  
Notes: Ultimate Game Designer

Name: Hiro Ichijou  
Height: 5’10  
Weight: 165 lbs  
Blood Type: O  
DOB: August 20th  
Likes: Reading  
Dislikes: Cowards  
Notes: Ultimate Pilot

Name: Takeru Kobayashi  
Height: 5’5  
Weight: 111 lbs  
Blood Type: B  
DOB: December 12th  
Likes: Bright colors, sharp objects  
Dislikes: Soup  
Notes: Ultimate Mortician

Name: Naoki Matsuoka  
Height: 5’11  
Weight: 129 lbs  
Blood Type: AB  
DOB: February 24th  
Likes: Sterile rooms  
Dislikes: Himself  
Notes: Ultimate Forensic Analyst

Name: Emi Mayeda  
Height: 5’4  
Weight: 105 lbs  
Blood Type: AB  
DOB: May 3rd  
Likes: Cute animals, soft things  
Dislikes: Yelling  
Notes: Ultimate Plush Maker

Name: Yuzuki Amano  
Height: 5’10  
Weight: 165 lbs  
Blood Type: A  
DOB: October 10th  
Likes: Citrus fruits  
Dislikes: Overly aggressive people  
Notes: Ultimate Archer

Name: Takashi Ichikawa  
Height: 5’9  
Weight: 127 lbs  
Blood Type: O  
DOB: September 27th  
Likes: Ramune  
Dislikes: Chlorine  
Notes: Ultimate Track Star

Name: Chiyo Hattori  
Height: 5’6  
Weight: 158 lbs  
Blood Type: B  
DOB: March 17th  
Likes: Dogs  
Dislikes: Romance  
Notes: Ultimate Dog Catcher

Name: Haruki Yamamoto  
Height: 5’7  
Weight: 126 lbs  
Blood Type: B  
DOB: January 9th  
Likes: Flowers, beautiful things  
Dislikes: Gloomy skies  
Notes: Ultimate Floral Arranger

Name: Masuyo Iseda  
Height: 5’6  
Weight: 174 lbs  
Blood Type: B  
DOB: November 28th  
Likes: Clay, paint  
Dislikes: Aluminum foil  
Notes: Ultimate Sculptor

Name: Kazuo Harukawa  
Height: 6’2  
Weight: 152 lbs  
Blood Type: AB  
DOB: March 12th  
Likes: Vinyl gloves  
Dislikes: Long shifts  
Notes: Ultimate Surgeon

And our gracious Host, Nekosuji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've started writing Chapter One; Daily Life. I hope to post part one soon.  
> Please, feel free to comment speculating on who you think might become murderers, or victims.  
> Edit: I've begun to add drawings I did of all the students, as well as Nekosuji, to this chapter.


	3. Chapter One - Daily Life (Part one)

The next morning, I woke up and expected to see my bedroom from back home. But, of course, I couldn’t be that lucky. I hadn’t been dreaming the events of yesterday. Instead of going to Hope’s Peak, and starting the new life at school that I expected to start, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. Not only that, I wasn’t the only one trapped in this place. There were sixteen others here, all students who should have been attending Hope’s Peak. And there was also a robotic cat. Who told us that we were here to kill each other, for some reason that wasn’t explained to us. If I had been dreaming all of it, I would be going to a therapist today. 

But it wasn’t a dream. This was all real. I probably won’t ever see a therapist again, since none of my fellow captives were the Ultimate Therapist, if there even is an Ultimate Therapist. This absurd situation, of being kidnapped and trapped and forced to live with others, with the purpose of having to kill each other, it was all real. I pinch myself to confirm it. Yep, that hurt. This is real. I am not dreaming. Unless I can feel pain in dreams now. 

Now what? What time was it even? Had I slept through the Morning Announcement that the Rules spoke of? I sat up in the stiflingly white bed, and looked around the room. I hadn’t explored this room, that was now mine, yet. Other than the bed, there was a dresser, and a side table right by the bed with a lamp on it. There was also another door, other than the entrance to the room, which I assumed was a bathroom. The room was dark, with no windows on the walls, so I turned on the lamp. The side table had a small drawer on it, which I opened. Inside, there was a small notepad and a pen. Like there would be in a hotel room. I sighed, already growing tired of the confused mismatch of hotel aesthetics, with the supposed identity of this place as a mansion. I stood up, and walked over to the dresser, opening the top drawer. Oh God, is this my clothes? Multiple copies of the outfit I wore yesterday? How did whoever brought us here get this? Why? I shut the drawer, and stepped away from the dresser, feeling uneasy. 

I turned to the other door, assumedly leading to the bathroom, and opened it next. It was in fact a standard bathroom. There was a counter with a built-in sink with a mirror hanging above, and a shower in the corner. I glanced at myself in the mirror. My orange hair was a mess. A single strand of hair poked up, mocking me. This wasn't new, it’d been like this for years. Even haircuts didn't solve it. I reached into a drawer beneath the sink, and found a hairbrush, and attempted to straighten out my hair. No use, that stupid bit of hair still refuses to budge. 

I stood there staring at my own blue gaze for a bit. I couldn't even recognise myself. Was yesterday really so stressful that I can't even remember what I look like? Why does it feel like I'm looking at a stranger?

I wasn't allowed to be alone with my thoughts much longer. The horrible screech of the loudspeaker system kicked up, and I heard his voice again. “Good morning students. It is now 7 am. Be sure to have another wonderful day here, and don't forget, there is no leaving without sacrifice.” Nekosuji’s voice, calm and so cold, spoke over the loudspeakers. I thought that would be it, but Nekosuji spoke again. “Today begins our Killing Game. All students must meet in the Ballroom for an explanation of the rules. Failure to arrive will result in punishment.” Nekosuji added. There was a different quality to that part of the message, as if the first part was pre recorded. It probably was. The loudspeakers squeaked as they shut off. 

I really don't want to go. But I guess I have no choice. I felt like ‘punishment’ was definitely going to be death, and I would prefer not to die just yet. I exited my dorm, and saw Mei and Jay in the hallway. Some of the others were scattered about too, but Jay and Mei were standing still. I walked up to them. “Hey, what are you two doing?” I asked as I approached the twins.

“Oh, we’re just watching to make sure everyone leaves their rooms.” Jay said. 

“It would be really bad if someone didn't listen to Nekosuji and got punished…” Mei added.

“Ah, that makes sense.” I responded. “I'm gonna head down now. I really don't like this place or Nekosuji, but the alternative is sitting in that dorm until Nekosuji ‘punishes’ me…” I said, glancing back at the door to my dorm. It was hard to believe I could even actually sleep in there. 

“Yeah, we'll be down shortly too.” Jay said. “I think Kazuo needs us to get him though. He seems like a deep sleeper.” 

I nodded. “It's good of you to take charge like that.” I said. Jay had taken a kind of leader role yesterday as well. It seems like he's just a natural at it. 

“Someone has to.” Jay said plainly.

With that, I left Jay, and went down the stairs, into the Ballroom. Just about everyone was gathering here already. Just Jay, Mei, and Kazuo seemed to not be here. At the front of the room, on the stage, Nekosuji stood watching us. He seemed to be patiently waiting for all of us to settle in. 

Only a few moments later, Jay and Mei entered, with a sleepy looking Kazuo following in tow. Jay frowned, stepping closer to the stage. “Alright, we’re all here.” He said to Nekosuji. “Now what?”

Nekosuji smiles politely. As politely as a robotic cat with an evil grin can. “As I said on the loudspeakers, I am going to explain to you all the rules of this killing game.” He starts. “Turn on your E-Handbooks, and open up the ‘Rules of Conduct’ application.” Nekosuji pauses, waiting for us to do so. 

I pulled out the E-Handbook that I was given yesterday. I guess I subconsciously grabbed it on the way out of my dorm. I boot it up, my name appearing on the screen before the boot screen fades, and the three application icons show up. Clicking on the ‘Rules of Conduct’ icon, the set of rules showed up again. 

-

1- Attempting to leave the mansion is forbidden, and any one who attempts to leave will be punished. 

2- During Nighttime, beginning at 10pm and ending at 7am, students are limited in where they can go, with most areas off limits except their rooms and a few other exceptions. 

3- Sleeping outside of the rooms on the second floor is forbidden. In addition, only one student is allowed to sleep in each room at a time.

4- All students are free to explore the open areas of the mansion at their discretion during the day. 

5- Violence against Nekosuji, the host, is forbidden. That’s just plain rude, and actions against the host will be promptly punished. Similarly, destruction of property is not allowed. 

6- All students are being observed at all times. Please do not engage in any inappropriate actions. There is no place in the mansion where privacy is available. 

7- When a student kills another student, they become “blackened”. If a Blackened student is able to get away with their murder, they will be allowed to leave the mansion.

8- When three or more people find a body for the first time, a Body Discovery Announcement will play. 

9- After a murder occurs, a short investigation period will take place. After the investigation, a Class Trial will be held to find the identity of the Blackened.

10- If the identity of the Blackened is found during the Class Trial, the Blackened will be executed. However, if the wrong person is selected as the Blackened, all other students will be executed, and the Blackened will be allowed to leave the mansion.

11- More rules may be added at any time by the host, Nekosuji. Existing rules may also be modified if needed. 

-

When everyone else had their E-Handbooks out, Nekosuji continued. “Let’s start with the first rule. This one is rather straightforward. All of you students are not permitted to leave. As you’ve surely noticed, all possible exits in the mansion, from the doors leading outside, to the windows, and even secret passages that are hidden throughout the mansion, are all blocked off.” Nekosuji smiled deviously. “You are all stuck here, completely isolated from the outside world. There is no escape, except through sacrificing another to save yourself.”

“That’s bullshit, there’s gotta be another way out, some way out that you forgot.” Hiro exclaimed. 

“No, that is not the case. My Master carefully combed through this entire mansion, making sure that not even a tiny hole leading outside was left open.” Nekosuji said. “It is very important to my Master that you all cannot get out or communicate with anyone outside.”

“Who cares about your Master?! I’m not staying here! I’ll break down all the walls if I have to to get out of here!” Takashi yelled, clenching his fists. “I can’t stand not knowing where my parents are!” 

“You can try to break out, but you’ll just be punished. My Master has instructed me to punish anyone who does not follow the rules.” Nekosuji stated matter-of-factly. 

“Wh-what kind of punishment?” Masuyo asked quietly.

“Well, death, of course.” Nekosuji said in a deadpan tone. 

“You mean, you’ll kill us if we break one of these stupid rules?” Shiori asked.

“Ha, that’s funny, how’s a dumb little cat like you going to kill one of us? You’re like, a third of any of our size!” Takashi exclaimed.

“Would you like a demonstration, Mister Ichikawa?” Nekosuji asked, and the jagged red eye on the right side of his face started to glow ominously.

“What the hell?” Takashi said, shocked. Instinctively, he took a few steps back, even though there was already plenty of distance between him and the black-and-white robotic cat. 

“I’d leave him alone now, Takashi.” Kaito said flatly. “You don’t know what that thing can do. Maybe it has a bomb inside it.”

“A bomb? Why the hell would it have a bomb inside it?” Takashi retorted. “That’s ridiculous!” 

Nekosuji turned to look straight at Kaito, his mismatched red eye glowing brighter, as if he were surprised, or maybe impressed. “Well now! How did you know that so precisely, Mister Shinobara?” Nekosuji laughed. The glow in his red eye subsided. “That is exactly the case! I am equipped with an explosive device inside of my chest that I can detonate on will when a student has broken a rule.”

“That has to be a joke…” Mei said in disbelief. 

“It is not a joke, Miss Takahashi.” Nekosuji said, assuredly. 

“If you explode, won’t you be gone too? How can you continue to monitor us if you explode into a thousand little kitty bits?” Takeru said in a far too cheerful tone. 

Nekosuji chuckled at Takeru’s comment. “You have a good point, Mister Kobayashi. But it isn’t that simple.” He says. “You see, I have multiple copies of myself. It wouldn’t be a smart idea to only have one copy of myself if I must sacrifice my body to punish any naughty rulebreakers.” 

“How many copies do you have?” Yuzuki challenged. She must be thinking of possibly destroying all the copies. Her talent as the Ultimate Archer would certainly allow her to safely dispatch Nekosuji.

“That is not for you students to know.” Nekosuji said. “And if you were thinking of attacking me, Miss Amano, please refer to rule number five. ‘Violence against Nekosuji, the host, is forbidden’. And as you know, breaking a rule will result in punishment.”

Yuzuki scowled at Nekosuji. Beside her, Shiori shook her head, sighing. 

For a few moments, there was a tense silence. We all felt as if we were powerless, and truly, we were. We could only follow the rules that were given to us, or face death. Anger and frustration sat in the air like thick smoke, and I felt suffocated by the atmosphere. 

“Okay, okay, that’s enough of these dumb, supplemental rules. What about rules seven through ten?” Sora spoke up, frustration in his voice. “More specifically, what the hell is a class trial?”

Nekosuji smiled. “Ah, yes. The Class Trial.” He said. His green eye glowed faintly. “The class trial will occur after one of you gives into the killing game, and murders someone else. After three or more of you students find the body of another student, an announcement will play over the loudspeakers.” He pauses. The loudspeakers screech back on. 

“Like this.” Nekosuji’s voice says over the loudspeakers. I cover my ears, not wanting to hear the screeching again as they shut off. Nekosuji grins, looking directly at me with his mismatched eyes glowing.

“After the body discovery announcement, you all will have a limited amount of time to search for evidence. After all, it is your duty to find the one of you who has murdered your friend and become the Blackened.” Nekosuji continues. “Once your allotted investigation time is complete, we will begin the Class Trial.” Nekosuji pauses again, and behind him, a screen lowers. On the screen is a cartoon of a courtroom, with basic blocked out figures representing people standing in a circle of podiums. “During the class trial, it is important that you all work together, using the evidence collected during the investigation, to find the Blackened student who destroyed a life and your peace here.” The screen changes to an image of a single person with a chain around their neck. “If you succeed in figuring out who the Blackened is, they alone will be punished for their crime.” The image again shifts, and the figure is dragged by the neck and hung. “However, if you do not succeed, and the Blackened gets away with their crime…” Again, the image changes to something else, showing a large number of figures chained by their necks. “...Then the rest of you will be punished instead.” The figures are all jerked up by their necks, cartoonishly snapping their necks with the sudden movement. 

“What!?” Chiyo exclaimed. “That isn’t fair!” 

Nekosuji glared at her. “This is a killing game, Miss Hattori. It isn’t meant to be fair. If you do not wish to be punished, you will just have to follow the rules and work hard with the others to find the traitor who ruins the peace.” 

“How are we supposed to have ‘peace’ if the whole purpose of us being here is to kill each other?” Naoki asked, his voice wavering slightly. 

“Well, although my Master has a preferred outcome, that, of course, being the Killing Game, to my Master, this is all an experiment. They wouldn’t mind if the result was different than they want, as long as they can observe what result comes from this situation. If the result is the lot of you giving up your outside lives to foster peace here, my Master wouldn’t mind.” Nekosuji answered.

“There’s no way we can give up everything outside!” Haruki protested. “Our families and friends, we can’t just give all that away!”

“That is the point of killing each other, Mister Yamamoto.” Nekosuji said. “If you cannot give in, and live here peacefully, your only option is to kill someone else, and get away with it.”

Emi shifted anxiously, squeezing the brown dog plush she was holding. “What if we don’t want to go back?” She said, looking down at her feet. At the back of the room, Kazuo seemed to be nodding in agreement. Naoki, too, seemingly showed signs of apprehension at the thought of the outside world. 

“It’s simple then, Miss Mayeda. You get to stay here, and live a new peaceful life here, as long as no one decides to break the peace.” Nekosuji said. “Of course, later on, I will be presenting different motives to get the Killing Game to start. In fact, I will be presenting a motive three days from now. Until then, the only motive you will have is the pure desire to escape.” 

“Escape…” Kazuo mumbled to himself. “It’s not worth destroying a life for.” He said, louder. 

“Of course you would think that. You spend your days saving lives, Ultimate Surgeon.” Hiro scoffed. “But I would kill a million people to make sure my loved ones are alright.” He said coldly. “I bet you don’t even have any loved ones. Who would want to be around a skinny, pathetic guy like you?” Hiro spat out, glaring at Kazuo. Kazuo looked shocked at being confronted, but said nothing, his shoulders slumping. 

Chiyo stepped in front of Hiro. “Woah, woah, where’s all this hostility coming from?” She said, attempting to keep the distance between the two boys. “I understand, it’s terrible not knowing if your loved ones are okay, but being angry and hurting someone else will just make it worse.” 

“And besides, talking all big and tough, saying that you’ll kill someone… It’ll just make it obvious when someone does die, and it’ll be for nothing since you won’t get away with it, and get punished anyway.” Sora said. “If you’re planning on killing someone to get out of here, acting like a hot headed moron isn’t the way to go about it.” 

Hiro swung around, coming face to face with Sora. “What did you call me?!” He demanded, balling up his hand into a fist. 

Sora remained calm, even with Hiro’s fiery glare burning into him. “A hot headed moron. And good job proving that you aren’t. Screaming in my face really shows how calm and intelligent you are.” He said, unwavering.

“Guys! Stop!” Mei cried out. “This is what Nekosuji wants, he wants us to not get along, so we kill each other!”

“Mei’s right.” Jay said, stepping forward. “Working together is the only hope we have.” 

“That's easy for you two to say. You're twins. You have a part of your family here. The rest of us are all alone.” Hiro said, glaring at Jay. 

Takashi nodded. “It's true, the rest of us don't know what's happened to our families, but somehow, you two are here together.” He said. “That kind of makes you two suspicious, don’t you think?”

“You’re right, it does make us suspicious. But we’re the same as everyone else, we have no idea why we were brought here, we have nothing to do with it at all.” Jay responded. Beside him, Mei stood, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her dress. 

“Jay and Mei aren’t any more suspicious than the rest of us. We’re all connected in the same way; we’re students that were meant to go to Hope’s Peak.” Yuzuki spoke up in Jay’s defense. 

“Ah, that’s right… Do you think that’s why we were all taken?” Chiyo asked. 

“Absolutely, it’s unlikely to be just a coincidence.” Kaito said. “Remember that book that Jay found in the library yesterday? The empty ‘History of Hope’s Peak’? That’s definitely a hint.” He explained. 

“S-so, you think that book w-wasn’t just planted because we happened to be s-students of Hope’s Peak, but that w-we w-were all brought here because w-we’re Hope’s Peak s-students?” Masuyo questioned.

“It is the only thing connecting all of us.” Fujioka said, lifting a hand to his face as he thought of the implication. 

Nekosuji cleared his throat, catching our attention again. “It is true. You were all brought here because you are students from Hope’s Peak. My Master’s experiment needed bright young minds, so naturally, students going to the most successful academy in the country, no, in the world, were the best choice.” Nekosuji explained. 

“Why does the experiment need young people?” Takeru wondered aloud. 

“Young minds are easily molded by experience, much more so than those of older individuals. My Master believes that high school students, specifically, are more likely to give into their natural violent tendencies than younger children. Thus, my Master decided on the best high school students available.” Nekosuji elaborated. “Now, do any of you have any questions about the rules? I will not answer any questions of ‘why’, regarding your being here, or the nature of the killing game any longer, so if you have those concerns, keep them to yourselves.”

“I have a question.” Naoki spoke up. “It’s about rule number two. We skipped over it due to Sora’s impatience.” Sora crossed his arms, annoyed at being called out. 

“Ah, yes. That is a rather important rule, isn’t it?” Nekosuji reflected. “The rule states that certain locations are off limit at nighttime, which begins at 10pm and ends at 7am. For now, the rooms that are off limits to you students at night are the Ballroom, the Dining Room, and the Gameroom. The kitchen is left open so irresponsible students that neglect their hunger all day can feed themselves at any time, and the lounge and library are open so students may have somewhere to go when they cannot sleep.Of course, as rule three states, sleeping outside of the dorms is forbidden.” Nekosuji clarified. 

“And, the storage room?” Sora asked.

“The storage room is accessible at all times. There's a lot of tools and such in there that could prove vital for murder. Locking it at night could discourage anyone from the ultimate goal here, the Killing Game.” Nekosuji said, grinning. His red eye glowed as he watched our faces shift to disgust.

“Like we're going to actually do that…” Haruki murmured. 

Nekosuji chuckled. “You’ll be surprised how quickly you all will learn how wrong you are to think that no one will turn to murder.” He said, staring right at Haruki with his glowing gaze. I glanced around the room, and my eyes landed on Hiro. He’d so brazenly claimed that he would be willing to kill others. Was it true, or was he just trying to scare us so none of us would go after him? It was impossible to know for now, it had only been a day since we were trapped here, and we knew nothing about each other.

“What about rule number six?” Shiori suddenly asked. She was holding out her E-Handbook. She’d probably been reading the rules again. 

“Oh,  _ that  _ rule…” Nekosuji sighed. “Rule number six states that you students are under constant surveillance. The… inappropriate actions that the rule speaks of, I’m sure your teenaged minds can extrapolate that for yourselves. My Master has decided to forbid sexual activity for the first year of your stay here, should it last that long.”

“The rule also says we have no privacy anywhere. Is that true? Even in the bathroom?” Takeru asked. “I would rather not have someone looking at my cute little boy body without my permission.” He added. The idea of Nekosuji and his Master watching over us went from weird to creepy as Takeru shifted the conversation. 

“Yeah, and if my nudes leak, my modeling career will probably be screwed.” Fujioka contributed. That’s… probably not true. He’d just have a different kind of career if the demand is built up. I scold myself for thinking of a classmate I’d only just met in that way. 

“That’s a good point, I don’t want some creep who kidnapped us looking at my naked body!” Shiori protested. I suddenly felt self conscious, thankful that I hadn’t changed my clothing or gone to the bathroom yet… 

“Now, students, calm down. The bathrooms and showers have specialized sensors that detect if they are being used, other than for murder. My Master will not observe the showers and bathrooms while they are in use but constant surveillance is important for accuracy in determining the true culprit in the case that a murder does occur.” Nekosuji said in a reassuring tone. “It’s very vital that I know who the true culprit is, since we wouldn’t want to execute the wrong person because they decided to commit the murder in a blind spot.” 

“No one is going to kill anyone, so that’s not necessary!” Mei protested. 

“Yes, keep on believing that if you want to.” Nekosuji said, boredom in his tone. “That kind of thinking may end up harming you, though.” After a moment’s pause, Nekosuji continued. “Now, if that’s all the questions you have for me, I must be going. Don't forget, in three days I’ll be giving you your first official motive.” Nekosuji didn't wait long enough for anyone to bring up any more concerns. He disappeared behind the podium, seemingly magically. There was probably a trap door or something installed there. 

Left with Nekosuji’s promise of a motive, we all stood there in tense silence. I looked towards Mei and Jay. Mei had a dark look on her face, and Jay was comforting her. 

“Don't worry, Mei. I'm not going to let anyone die.” Jay promised her, in a hushed voice. Standing up straight, Jay turned to the crowd. “That's a promise to the rest of you as well. As long as I'm alive, I won't let anyone fall victim to this messed up ‘game’ of Nekosuji’s.” 

I felt empowered by Jay’s words. Motivated to team up with him, with Mei, with everyone here. “We're all going to survive this, and find some other way out.” I said, directed not just to Jay, but to everyone else here as well. 

One by one, everyone started to echo my sentiment. 

“Yeah, there's no way anyone is going to get killed!” Takeru shouted. “Even though it would be so fun to plan funerals for you all…” He muttered to himself.

“I want to get to know all you beautiful people, so none of you get to go dying on me just yet.” Haruki said, in a joking tone, but his eyes were serious. 

“I don't mind staying here… If we have to be here, it's better if we all get along…” Emi said, clutching her plush dog. 

The room filled with everyone's chatter, all promising peace and hope for friendships that could protect us all. Everyone seemed to be dedicated to staying alive, together, and working with each other to somehow figure out a way to get out without anyone dying. Everyone except Hiro, who waited for the chatter to die down. 

Once the room was quieting down again, Hiro scoffed at us. “You're all morons. Trusting strangers will just get you killed. You can all live in Friendship Town all you want, but I won't be putting up with this shit. Don't come crying to me when you start killing each other.” He said, turning towards the door. “I won’t take first blood, just to prove to you all how dumb you are. But once one of you dies, I'll be taking my shot to get back to my family.” Hiro threatens as he opens the door and leaves the Ballroom. 

“None of us will be dying!” Jay shouts after him. “Like I said, as long as I'm here, I won't let anyone die!”

A silence fell over the room again. The tension caused by Hiro's words was palpable. I looked toward Mei, who seemed to be frightened by Hiro's threat. But she was trying to be strong. She wanted to believe her twin brother, that no one will die. 

A few awkward moments passed as we all stood in the Ballroom, unsure of what to do now.

Fujioka cleared his throat, catching my attention. “Uhm, everyone… I have something to say.” Fujioka said. Everyone turned toward him.

“What is it, Fujioka?” Naoki asked him. 

“I’ve remembered my name.” Fujioka responded. “Uh, not right now, of course. Like, when I woke up this morning, it was just back in my mind.” He was nervous, apparently not enjoying having all the attention on him. 

“Well? What's your name then?” Takashi said.

“It's Reiji. Reiji Fujioka.” Fujioka stated. “You guys can call me Reiji if you want, or continue calling Fujioka. I don't mind either.” He said with a smile. 

“It's great that you remembered your name, Reiji.” Mei said, returning his smile with her own.

“But, it's still weird that you forgot it in the first place.” Sora stated. 

“Ahaha…” Reiji laughed nervously. “Well, like I said before, I don't use it very often… Even in magazines and stuff, I'm just known by the name Fujioka. My given name is just used by my family and friends, and I don't have much free time usually. Plus, the stress of this situation distracted me from it…” He explained. 

“I suppose that makes enough sense… If you spend enough time under an alias, you begin to think that's your only name.” Yuzuki pointed out, nodding. 

“Do you have any experience with that, Yuzu?” Shiori asked.

Yuzuki shook her head. “Not really. But my younger siblings sometimes forget their own names because of their online nicknames… It's pretty frustrating for my mother when her son refuses to respond to anything except ‘Echostorm’...” She responded. Mentioning her siblings, Yuzuki had a somber tone to her voice. 

“Ah, you have younger siblings too, Yuzuki?” Kazuo asked, perking up. Yuzuki nodded. “I have a younger sister who I love very much… I have to live, so I can escape with everyone to get back to her.” He said, with determination in his voice. 

“We’re all going to get out, and back to our families. I can promise you that.” Jay said.

“Uhm… so… Nekosuji left already… There's not much point in staying here, right?” Chiyo asked. “I'm getting really hungry. I haven't eaten since I woke up here yesterday.” 

Now that she mentions it… I haven't either. “Yeah, me neither. But there should be plenty of food in the kitchen, right?”

Haruki nodded. “Nekosuji said as much yesterday when Yuzuki, Shiori, and I investigated the kitchen.” He said. 

“Then… We should all eat breakfast together!” Mei suggested. “It’ll help us all grow closer!” 

“That's a great idea, Mei.” Jay agreed. “In fact, we should make a habit of it. After the morning announcements, we should all meet in the dining hall to have breakfast together. Of course, it won't be enforced. No one has to go with.” 

“I’ll probably go every morning.” Takeru said. “I really wanna get to know everyone as much as possible.” 

A few other people, including Haruki, Chiyo, Naoki, and Takashi, agreed to meet for breakfast every morning. With that promise, we all left the Ballroom. As I stepped out of the ballroom, Mei waved me over to her. 

“You said you were hungry, right? I'm a great cook, I'll make you, and anyone else who wants something, some breakfast!” Mei said excitedly. 

“Oh, sure. Thanks, Mei.” I responded. She must really like cooking, I’ve never seen someone smile that wide when offering to do something for someone else before…

Mei happily took my hand and brought me to the dining room. Jay followed us, of course, and Chiyo, Takeru, Kaito, Masuyo, and Naoki also ended up joining us on our way to the Dining Hall for Mei’s breakfast. When we walked in, we were surprised to see Hiro there. He was sitting at one of the tables, eating a bagel. 

With his mouth full, he looked towards us. “Wha-? I'm not allowed to eat here?” Hiro said through bites of his bagel. 

“No, of course you're allowed to eat here…” Mei said. “I just didn't expect to see you here.” 

“Well,” Hiro said, swallowing. “I was hungry, and this is the only place with food.” He said. “But now that the Friend Gang is here, I’ll be leaving.” Hiro grabbed the rest of his bagel, and left the room, pushing past Kaito as he left. 

Kaito spun around, glaring at Hiro. “What an unlikable guy.” He huffed. “It wouldn't be so bad if he died…”

“Don't s-say that..!” Masuyo whimpered. “No one sh-should die… even if they're rude or mean.” 

“Masuyo is right, Kaito. You shouldn't say things like that.” Chiyo said. “We all need to try to get along, and wanting someone dead isn't helping.” 

Kaito sighed. “I guess so. It's just too bad that he won't try to get along with us.” 

“I think he'll turn around eventually.” Mei said. “If only he stayed long enough for me to offer him some food.” 

“His loss.” Jay said, taking a seat at a nearby table. “I wonder what kind of ingredients are even available for us to use…”

“Well, I’m about to go find out.” Mei said as she turned toward the kitchen entrance. “I’ll do my best to make something with whatever’s there. Meanwhile, you guys should all take a seat, I’ll bring out food for everyone in a bit!” 

“Ah, you don’t need any help?” Chiyo asked. “I could help out if you want, Mei.” She offered. 

“Nah, I can handle making breakfast for everyone. Thanks though, Chiyo.” Mei responded before she walked into the kitchen. 

I hesitated for a moment before sitting at the same table as Jay, though not across from or next to him. Takeru joined me at that same table, as well as Chiyo and Naoki. Kaito sat at the next table over, and Masuyo stood at the dining hall entrance, unsure of where she should sit. 

“You can sit next to me, Masuyo.” Chiyo suggested. 

Masuyo shook her head. “No, that’s okay…” She said, hurriedly taking a seat at a third table. 

“Why sit by yourself?” Takeru asked, looking at Masuyo. 

“Uhm, I don’t mean anything by it, but I’m not s-sure if I trust you all yet…” Masuyo answered. 

“I think the same.” Kaito added to the conversation. “I want to be able to live here peacefully, but I’ll take it slow to trust the rest of you.”

“Aw, that’s sad. Am I too scary to trust?” Takeru said, jokingly. 

“Well, frankly, yes. For a mortician, you’re too friendly and cheerful.” Kaito said bluntly.

“Ahaha, I get that a lot.” Takeru said, beaming. 

“It makes sense to be cautious.” Naoki said. “Even if we all agree to getting along, we can’t really know what others are thinking…” 

“Even so, it’s important that we learn to trust each other.” Jay said. “Although I won’t allow anyone to die, it would be much easier to keep everyone alive if we can all trust each other.” 

“Yeah, that’s true. Getting to know each other is the best way to begin to trust each other.” Chiyo said. “So, in that case, maybe we should talk more about ourselves? How about we all say what our favorite breed of dog is? I’ll go first! My favorite breed of dog… Is probably the Shiba Inu. They’re just so cute, with their little curly tails, and their cute little triangular ears…”

“Chiyo, you’re rambling about dogs again.” Takeru said. “Also, I’m more of a cat person.”

“Me too…” Masuyo said. “Dogs are way too energetic for me…”

For the next few minutes, I listened as everyone talked about their pets, what kind of animals they had, their pets’ names, et cetera… I couldn’t relate, so I kept mostly silent. 

In a short while, Mei called Jay to the kitchen to help her bring out the food she’d made. 

“Woah, you made all that?!” Takeru exclaimed as Jay and Mei placed down two large platters with breakfast foods laid out on them onto the table. There were pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausages, mixed fruit and toast. There was also coffee and tea for drinks.

“Heheh, yeah, I did.” Mei responded happily. “I’m really glad there was plenty of ingredients to work with.”

“It looks great, Mei.” Kaito said, standing up to look closer at the food laid out. 

“Yeah, and it smells great too.” Chiyo said. 

“Hehe, thanks guys.” Mei said. “Now, let’s all eat!” 

With that, the eight of us each took some of the food Mei had prepared. While we ate together, it felt as if this situation really wasn’t so bad. If Jay’s promise of none of us dying could be upheld, I could relax in this place, with the others. Maybe it would be okay to stay here. That’s what I began to think anyway. But it wouldn’t be that simple. Peace wasn’t that easy to achieve, especially in the presence of strangers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Chapter one has begun! Thanks for reading! I hope to have part two out within the next two weeks.  
> Feel free to let me know your guesses for victims/killers/etc. I'd love to hear your thoughts.


End file.
